September 04, 2006

Tradition can be expensive.: I think it is interesting to see that many of the top 10 on this list are not the big leaders in NFL money or even top tier teams. I guess tradition and fan loyalty is still alive in the NFL

How are these numbers driven by "tradition and fan loyalty"? These numbers are exactly what I'd expect to see. The top 8 teams are either big-market entities or medium-market teams with enough success in recent years to maintain a good casual fan base. The 9 and 10 teams both fit that description a year or two ago, and are on a ticket price downswing. The numbers are neat, but I don't see what they have to do with loyalty and tradition.

Actually, it looks like the numbers, while accurate, do not represent a true picture. Here are some other things that I think should be factored in: 1. What is the strength of the opponent? For example, a Patriots vs Colts opener would draw a lot more interest than Patriots vs Bills. 2. What else is going on in the home city? Are there other major league sporting events taking place? What about attractive college games in the area? 3. How does a ticket for the opener compare in price to tickets for other games on the schedule? Include in this the historic value of resale tickets for each club. The point I'm trying to make is that a team's popularity among its fan base can't be solely determined by the resale price of tickets. My own opinion is that it is not even a major indicator of popularity.

Keep in mind that the source of this article is a press release for a company that enables the resale of tickets! The marketdroids need to make sellers believe they'll reap the max price and at the same time make buyers believe they'll pay the least possible. If this were a research study done by one of our own statisticians, Howard's factors would be included.

I think it's worth mentioning that the Steelers/Dolphins game is the NFL season opener, not just a Steelers game-it's the only game that day, it's in primetime, I think there's even extra entertainment either on the field or in the parking lot.

Being the cynic that I am, and to refute DJE's assertion that all of the teams fit into his mold... Green Bay, has net exactly had a a large amount of success in recent years. It IS interesting to note that they were 22d last year in tickets sold online, and jumped to 3rd this year, on the tails of a lousy season, a lousy pre-season, and no word that this will in fact be Favre's last year. In their case, knowing how hard it is to get tickets at ANY price when they are doing well, I would say that the jump in online value is due to a jump in online supply, which would indicate that they are actually a poorer draw for those that have had season tickets forever. The season ticket holders are dumping them, and those that have never had any opportunity to attend a game at Lambeau are paying whatever it takes to get the elusive ducat, perhaps the one true example of traditoin and fan loyalty.